(Hi guys! This is me from the future, that future being Chapter 17, and Christmas is 22 days away. It's already freeze-your-nose-off cold, so I have to wait till it gets warmer to start regularly posting. So, I'm going to upload two chapters, being this one and the one previous! I might upload the next one as well, so who knows! Since I won't be able to tell you guys on Christmas, happy early Christmas, or whatever you celebrate, and If you don't celebrate anything, happy early New Year!)
Chapter 12 marks this my longest fanfic yet. I'm surprised I haven't lost interest, and that's a good thing! I'd hate to lose interest in this story, especially since we may be halfway to the end! Who knows. This story's line of action is more erratic than fate. Seriously though, I have a vague idea of what I want to do with a story, and a lot of my ideas wouldn't fit into this fic. I know this story may be a bit overdramatic, seemingly rushed, and other negative things, but if you've made it this far into the story, I'm doing atleast something right!
Anyway, It's time I stop rambling and continue with
…Erratic Fate!
The rain fell down onto the grass and stone markers, as a large gathering of Pokemon surrounded an open hole in the ground. 7 of the Pokemon stood out among the rest, being the closest to the hole, and the Pokemon with the highest rank in the government in their region. The female Pyroar stepped forward, a few tears trickling down her face, mingling with the rain as she gaze at the casket hovering just a few inches above the hole. She sniffled slightly, before walking to the other side, onto a small, marble stage.
"Councilmon Quincy was a beloved friend of mine, as I'm sure he was all of yours. I thank all of you gathered here today to witness his return to the earth, an inevitable fate for all of us. Councilmon Quincy was loved by the city, not only for his kindness and love, but for his fairness. If his own child, of which he had none, was set before him, he would hold no bias to a sentencing. If a murderer stood there, he would hold as much malcontent to them as he would against a purse snatcher. Some say his fairness was a bit too much, but I say it was needed. I think, and I can trust my friends and fellow Councilmon think, that this Sceptile was taken too early from us."
The crowd nodded in unison, as the Pyroar stepped off of the stage. The next Pokemon to step, or in better words float, on to the stage was a Beheeyem.
"In my time in this beautiful city, I have never seen a Pokemon so strong-willed and kind as Quincy. It is true that none of us can ever hope to reach his level of understanding. Even I, a highly advanced being, can not grasp how he was kind to even the blackest hearts. But sadly, no matter how bright his own heart was, it could no longer support his body. That was my words for this ceremony, and they were intended to be the last words, but right before the funeral began, Councilmon Andre asked for his own time to speak." The Beheeyem nodded to the crowd, then floated back to where he originally stood.
After a few seconds of silence, Andre started up the platform. He made his way to where the other two had stood, and cleared his throat.
"Good Pokemon of Feldon, friends of Councilmon Quincy, those that looked up to Quincy, It is with a saddened heart I stand here today. Sir Quincy was a very, very dear Pokemon. In fact, I am sure he was the only Sceptile in our great city. As most of you know, he passed earlier yesterday night due to sudden heart failure." He gulped down a knot in his throat, breathing in deeply.
"And though it is true none can truly replace him, we must find someone capable to meet his risen cup halfway. That being said, elections for the next Councilmon will begin tomorrow. I am sure my mood may shock some of you, how I am able to brush off a dear friend's death so easily, but in Quincy's own words, "There is no use to be forever sad, my friends. Sadness opens a path to happiness beyond what you have originally seen.'". He chuckled a bit.
"Though these words sound like the ramblings of an old man, they are true. He would not want any of you to be sad. He would want you to be happy that the earth will retrieve nutrients, and become stronger once he is gone. With that, it's time to lower the casket. Burry your sadness with him, so that it will be smothered by the dirt." Andre bowed his head, as a few of the Pokemon clapped.
The Umbreon watched as the wooden casket holding the deceased Sceptile began to lower slowly, a few Pokemon tossing a handful of dirt onto it. Something Quincy had said a while back came to the front of Andre's mind. Something that Andre had originally been spooked by, something that made him worried.
A bright organic light filled a green room. The floor itself was made of grass, as thick vines crawled the walls and supported the ceiling. In one corner of the room, a magnolia sprout was growing, not even a quarter fully grown. In the center of the room grew a desk, made of vines and woody plants. The actual desk surface was made of large, oily leaves. On one side sat a throne, the only dead thing in the room. It was made of an old, long dead pine tree. On the other side grew a chair, similarly to the desk. In this chair, sat a slightly younger Andre, and across in the old throne sat the Sceptile known as Quincy. He was leaning forward, his old, withering leaf blades on the desk. His claws were clasped together, as he stared at the pitcher plant that had quickly grown up the side of the desk.
"Would you like some water, Andre? I promise you, that isn't a normal pitcher plant."
Andre shook his head. The younger, freshly anointed Councilmon looked at the elder. The pitcher plant rose to the Grass type's lips, before he drank down the water in a single gulp. He then leaned back in his pine throne, his pine tree tail sticking through a large hole in the back.
"Andre, would you like to know the history behind my chair?"
The Umbreon shrugged. "I would like to know why I am here, first of all."
The Sceptile sighed in relaxation, placing his clawed hands on his round stomach. "All in good time, Andre."
He took a deep breath, before beginning his story. "Long, long ago, before even the Ruins of Victory were built, before civilization decided to live together and advance, my ancestors lived in a large pine tree. It was said to thrive off of their energy, and it grew to immense size. There were rumors it became so large, that it's life force rivaled that of a hundred sentient Pokemon. They even say Xerneas herself blessed the tree. Well, my ancestors hollowed out the upper tree, and made their home inside it. The tree survived, because of the awesome might of us Sceptile. Years and years and years later, a war broke out. You've likely heard of it before. A great weapon was constructed, that used the life force of those around it as a weapon. My great great great great great grandmother ran away with her only egg, leaving her mate and his family to fight off the Pokemon wishing to use the tree's life energy to fuel the weapon. Sadly, a mishap happened and both sides lost the small battle. The weapon somehow activated, draining the life of the fighters, the trees, and the great old pine. Years after the war ended, the weapon was destroyed and burried at the very location the tree was destroyed. A few decades back, in my more young and spry years, I went on a search for the tree, to see if the rumors were true. And I found it. Deep in the Feldon Desert, far away from any city, I found the long dead stump. Parts of the weapon were sticking out of the ground all around, but that wasn't what I was after. I began to cut into the tree, searching for only the most supple wood. My leaf blades were so dull by the time I found it, it took me a month to get the piece out. When I had it out, I strapped it to my back, and began on my way home. But I took a little souvenir from the weapon."
Andre, now genuinely intrigued, leaned forward. Quincy grinned, before continuing. "A piece of the weapon. On my way back home, I came across a group of Houndoom, who were driven by bloodlust. The only thing they wanted was to see me bleed out, tortured, and torn to shreds. After the first attack, something strange happened. The weapon fragment began to glow, and before I knew it, I had evolved. Keep in mind I was a Sceptile still."
Andre's eyes widened. "No way." His tail began to wag slightly as his self-control slipped, showing his excitement.
"My tail grew larger, I grew some strange x shaped fern on my chest, my tail shot out of me like a missile, my bulbs became explosive, everything became stronger. I took barely any damage in that fight, despite being outnumbered and with a weakness. After that, I bolted on home, and somehow reverted back into my normal self. Anyway, that's the story of my chair here. Carved it out of that piece of wood I had. But, I've rambled on for so long. Thank you, Andre, for listening to an old bastard like me talk about his youth."
Andre nodded politely, before hopping off of the chair. "If that is all you needed me for, I will be on my way."
The Sceptile held up a singular claw, waving it back and forth. "Now hold on a bit there, that was just a little tall tale for you. The real reason your here, Andre, is so I can warn you."
Andre raised a non-existent eyebrow. "What about?"
"Yourself. You've got a golden heart, son, but it's slowly blackening. Don't obsess over things out of your reach, Andre. I don't know why you joined the Council, but it shouldn't be for power. A lust for power poisons a Pokemon's heart one hundred percent of the time. Be happy with what you've got, and you'll make it just fine in this world, no matter how dirty the hand Lady Fate offers you."
Andre tilted his head in confusion. "I joined the Council to help my region. The only lust I have is for peace."
Quincy smiled and nodded, before waving his hand. The vines on the wall parted in a certain place, before a door became visible. Andre nodded to the Sceptile, before turning and heading out the door.
"Councilmon Quincy died a few days ago." Hope said.
The Flareon was looking at a newspaper laying before her as she sat at the dining table. The other diners looked up at her in shock.
"Yup. Old guy's heart just stopped. Sad, he was a member even when I was little."
Azura looked up from her meal of a peanut butter and Sitrus Jelly sandwich. She looked at her mother, then to the newspaper laying on the table.
"Who are all the Councilmon now?"
Hope shrugged. "I don't keep up with government stuff."
Fenris swallowed the last bites of his noodle soup. The Furfrou sighed a bit, before saying "If I remember correctly, it's Andre the Umbreon, Galera the Garchomp, Henry the Beheeyem, Missie the Miltank, Suvius the Torkoal, Roria the Pyroar, and Judas the Delphox. If you don't count Quincy's death, there's eight of them. Maybe I should try out for being the next Councilmon."
His mate clicked her tongue, grinning. "Yea, and I should try to become an actor in a movie with Suicune in it."
Alex suddenly looked up from his plate of food, straight at Azura. "Hey Azura."
The mentioned Espeon glared daggers at him. "Don't you dare."
Alex grinned, turning to his mother. "When we were little, Azura was always saying how she'd get married to Suicune one day, and meet Arceus somehow."
Their mother shut her mouth, stiffling a laugh. Fenris simply chuckled, as Azura blushed, still glaring at her younger brother.
"Calm down, Azura. I was just joking."
She sighed, before grinning. "Yea, I know. It's nice to be able to talk like this together now. I remember before I ran off, we couldn't even talk at dinner."
Hope's smile faded a bit. Fenris looked up from the paper that was in front of his wife, and looked at Azura.
"Azura, what was Slag Town like?" Alex suddenly asked, breaking the staring contest between father and daughter.
Azura brightened up, before smiling a bit. "It was interesting. If I could go back, I wouldn't, though. It's too hot during summer, too cold during winter, always wet, muggy, dirty, barely any electricity. There are a lot of interesting characters though. The Pokemon me and Aloe worked for was a Emboar. I'm pretty sure he payed us least because he thought we were doing stuff during lunch breaks. I had this little lockbox that only psychics could open, and the three primary stones for Jacky. Kalia gave me a necklace that was really pretty. It had lavender colored gems in it."
Nostalgia hit her like a wave. Even though it'd been not even 7 weeks ago, it still felt like a long time ago. She looked down at her empty plate. In its extremely clean surface, she could see 3 Pokemon. Herself, Aloe, and Jacky, all laying together and looking up at the stars. A smile crossed her muzzle, before the dish floated up and followed Axel the Dragapult into the kitchen. Azura stood from the table, hopping down from her chair and then stretching.
"I'm going to go to the park. I haven't been there in forever." She said.
Hope looked at her curiously. "What if you're seen by an Officer?"
She shrugged. "I'll pretend to be Alex."
"Barely anyone knows Alex. And if someone looks close enough, they'll realize you're definitely not male." Fenris noted.
She sighed this time. "Fine. You got any green dye? I'll pretend to be a shiny."
Hope shook her head, staring for a second. "Just… be careful. We don't want you getting caught, especially since we'd get in trouble for helping you."
Azura smirked. "Yea, that's what you care about." she joked.
Hope smiled a bit, as Azura began out of the dining room, heading through the large house until she exited through the door. Upon leaving the house, she inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of the air. She smiled, before heading off. The Espeon made her way through the large northern section of the city, weaving through as many alleys and bushes as she could. She passed a few stores, and one in particular caught her eye as she came out of the alley beside it. It was a jewelry store, painted marble white. The glass windows showed the inside of the store, which held stands for jewelry and singular stones. Her jaw dropped at the beauty of one of the stones she saw inside. It was pink, hexagon shaped, and embedded in a silver bracelet. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at it, but something moving behind the display caught her eye. A red-furred Pokemon smiled warmly at her as she gaze at it, it's eyes meeting hers. She watched as it picked up the bracelet in its mouth, before walking to the entrance and stepping out. The Thievul walked over to Azura as she stared in wonder at the jewelry. They dropped the bracelet onto the ground, before taking one of Azura's limbs into their grasp.
"Hmm… This bracelet is too large for you. Do you mind if I take one of these to fix the measurements?" He said. His voice was smooth, the type of voice that seemed to attract trouble.
Azura stared at him silent for a few seconds. "Why? I don't have anything to buy it with."
"Tsk tsk tsk." He smiled at her, before bowing.
"I own this fine jewelry store. My policy for the finest jewelry is that only the most beautiful should be able to wear the most beautiful jewelry." He continued to smile, his strange tail beginning to wag from side to side.
Azura blushed a bit, averting her gaze. "I-I still don't have anything to pay with."
"Nonsense! A creature of such beauty as yourself shouldn't have to pay anything! Your looks rival the great Virizion!"
Azura's blush grew, as he began to take one of her wedding bands off. "But isn't Virizon male?"
He shrugged, before taking one of the bands completely off of her foreleg. "He is known for his beauty to both genders."
He turned around, and his strange tail opened before he dropped the wedding band in. He bit onto the bracelet he had dropped and tossed it over his head, before it landed in his tail. He turned and bowed to Azura.
"This won't take but minute, Madam." He bowed once more, before walking back into the store.
Azura watched as the Thievul entered the store and walked to the very back, picking up a few different pieces of jewelry and gems, before entering a curtained off door. There was no activity for a few seconds, before a Sableye ran out from the curtained room, breathing quickly and looking around. They noticed Azura and ran out of the store, coming face to face with her.
"You! Call the I.L.E! I've been robbed!" They stood still for a few seconds, before looking closer at Azura.
"You don't have a phone! What am I doing!? I have a phone inside! What! Why am I still shouting and not calling the I.L.E! Espeon! Help me!"
Azura stared at them, slightly confused. Then it dawned on her. The Thievul was a thief. Horror filled her face as she ran into the store without thinking, before running through the curtained room and out the back door. She entered an alley, and just barely saw a strangely shaped tail cut around a corner. Without thinking, she ran after the presumed thief. The only thing in her mind was to get her wedding band back, making her miss a few key details as she ran through the alleys. She passed garbage cans, which opened as she passed. She passed holes, and small Pokemon ran out of them after she was out of sight. She began to pant as she sped up, turning left and right in the twisting mazes known as the alley. These alleys were extremely confusing, and at one point it even began to slope downward. To Azura's surprise, a roof soon covered her as she continued down the alleyway. Twists and turns became more and more prominent, untill she was just barely able to keep up with the small bit of fur she saw around each corner. Soon enough, she came to a stop in a pitch black room. She could hear running water nearby, and began to close her eyes. She projected her surroundings into her mind, the room appearing inside her head. Before her was a chasm with rushing liquid, which she assumed was water, and on the other side was multiple black voids. Behind her were a few as well, forming a line between her and the door. Beside one of the black voids on the other side was a strong, electric yellow quadraped shaped mental signature. Something was strange about it, though. Chunks were missing from it, as if ripped apart by another Psychic. She opened her eyes, looking around.
"I know I'm outnumbered. I know there are a lot of you in here. Atleast have the dignity to give me some light." She said aloud.
As if they were listening to her request, strings of lights attached to the walls turned on, releasing their yellow color. But in reality, they turned the lights on because they wanted to. The chasm before her was indeed filled with water, and it was surprisingly crystal clear. Across from her on the other side stood the Thievul, grinning at her. Behind a bunch of wooden boxes is were the yellow blob was, but she couldn't see them right now. Behind her and around the Thievul were many Nickits, all smiling deviously. The walls were made of stone, and the smell of mildew told her they were in a drain of sort. She looked at the Thievul, her eyes squinted.
"Give me back my wedding band. It's all I have left of my husband." She said, beginning to crouch down in preparation for combat.
The Thievul smiled. "Fine. Here you go, Azura."
His tail flicked forward, before the silver band was sent flying towards Azura. She smiled faintly as she grasped it with her mind, before extending her foreleg with the other band on it and slipping it on. She placed her paw to the floor, before standing straight.
"Why did you steal from me? How do you know my name?"
The Thievul shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to lure you here for my nefarious intentions." He smiled wickedly, his fur beginning to stand on end.
Before Azura reacted, he began to laugh. "Nah, I'm just kidding. This guy payed me to lure you here." He flicked his tail towards the boxes.
As if on cue, a yellow paw stepped out, followed by another, and then a spikey, white mane, followed by the rest of the Pokemon. Sparks jumped off of his pelt, as his body occasionally twitched. He smiled softly at Azura, as dread filled her heart.
"Jolteon. You better not be the same one I think you are, or I'll break every single bone in your body, and then throw you at a wall!" Azura said, beginning to panic.
The Jolteon frowned, before sitting on his haunches. "H-Hello, A-Azura. I-I-I'm Spark. I'm s-suposed to k-kill you."
"Haha! You'll never defeat me! I'm the great and powerful Raya!"
A small Shinx tackled a larger Luxray's leg, biting and clawing at it vigorously. The Luxray faked pain, pulling back the leg the small Pokemon had bitten.
"No! This is impossible! I, the even more great and powerful, Lucius have been defeated!" He shouted, before falling to the ground and rolling onto his back, playing dead.
The two gained strange looks from the other Pokemon in the richly decorated room. It was full of at least twenty Pokemon in it, and they all stood near a wall, except for the Shinx and Luxray. The walls were colored peach, the ceiling white, and the carpet grey. The two electric types rolled around on the floor, play-fighting without a care in the world. Raya swatted at Lucius's maw, as he gently bit onto the paw.
"Let gooo!" She squealed, pulling her paw gently.
He smiled and did so, before standing and placing a paw on her head, keeping her on the floor. He leaned forward and bit the scruff of her neck, before swinging her up onto his back.
"Alright, I think that's enough for now. I don't see how you can keep up, Raya." Lucius said, before walking over and joining the other Pokemon at the wall.
She shrugged. "Cause I'm little. We get lots of energy, but you get almost none! Cause you're old!"
Lucius chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not old, Raya. If I get this job, I'll be the youngest Pokemon to ever be on the Council."
She swatted his ear absentmindedly. "Yea, but your still like, double my age. So you're old."
He smiled a bit, shaking his head once more. He sat patiently by the wall, ignoring the Shinx on his back. He felt something tap his back though, and turned to look at a Serperior.
"Why did you bring a child to this thing?"
Lucius shrugged. "Why not? She'll get to see how our government works. Something for her future, I guess. Maybe when another Councilmon dies, she could try to be one."
The Serperior nodded understandingly. "I see. You mentioned you'd be the youngest of you get in. How old are you?"
"20. And no, this isn't my daughter. It's my little sister."
The Serperior looked surprised, before nodding again. He went silent, and looked at the door right as it began to open. A Boltund stepped through, looking around.
"Lucius the Luxray? You're up." It said after spotting him.
Lucius nodded, walking through the door and past the Boltund. He walked down a long, stone hallway before entering a large, circular room. 8 desks were on one side, 7 filled. Each desk looked unique, ranging from being seemingly grown from the floor, to being a psychic projection. The 7 Councilmon eyed him, their gazes locked onto him. The Garchomp standing behind a sandstone desk coughed, before leaning over their desk.
"Hello, Lucius. I am Councilmon Galera. You stand here before us today to attempt to take the spot of Councilmon. Each one of us will ask you a question, and you will answer honestly. Understood?" She asked.
Lucius nodded. "Understood, ma'am."
Councilmon Galera nodded, and stood straight. From a desk seemingly made of embers, the female Pyroar stepped around it, eyeing Lucius.
"Who is that on your back?" She asked.
Lucius looked into his back, smiling at the small Shinx, who smiled back. "This is my little sister, Raya. I wanted her to learn how the government works early, so she can get ahead in class, and maybe one day become a Councilmon."
The Pyroar smiled warmly, nodding before she stepped back behind her desk. Next up, a Miltank climbed on to her solid white desk, looking at Lucius.
"What reason do you have to join the Council?"
Lucius thought for a second, before meeting the Miltank's judging eyes. "I want to help our region. I've always wanted too, and now that a spots open, I want to fill it. I love our beautiful region with all my heart, and I want to help all of our citizens. I tried out for the I.L.E, but I failed the combat portion, so I figured this would be my next best option to help."
The Miltank smiled, before stepping off of her desk. A Delphox leaped over his own desk, which was wooden and seemed as if it had been scorched, and smiled at Lucius.
"Do you have a criminal record?"
Lucius simply shook his head. The Delphox nodded, before walking back behind his desk. Next, a Beheeyem floated over his non-physical desk.
"Do you have a family?"
Lucius looked at his sister on his back, who was intently watching the Beheeyem. He looked back at him and nodded. "Me and my sister, really. Our dad went missing when I was little, and a few days before our mom had her egg. Mom passed about 9 years ago, and I had to take care of both of us."
The Beheeyem nodded, before floating back behind his desk. Next came an Umbreon, sitting behind a pitch black stone desk. He leaped up onto it, before sitting on his haunches.
"Would you put fame, wealth, or sexual desire before your duty to the Council?"
Lucius looked slightly shocked for a second, before shaking his head rapidly. "Never. I would never do any of that. I don't desire fame, wealth, or that last thing. I only want to help my region."
The Umbreon grinned, before nodding. He hopped off of his table, as a Torkoal slowly walked around his own red, old, cracked table.
"Have you ever met one of the gods? This is more of a unnecessary question. I'm not the questions type, you see." He smiled at Lucius.
Lucius smiled back and shook his head. "I watched one of Suicune's movies at a friend's house before, but that doesn't count."
The Torkoal chuckled, before walking back behind his desk. Finally, Galera leaned back on to her desk.
"Do you think you'll get this position?"
Lucius looked to the floor, shuffling his paws. Before he could respond, Raya spoke up.
"Of course he'll get it! Lucius is the most awesomest Pokemon I know! He's really nice, and always helps everyone!"
Galera smiled, before crossing her arms. "I think that's enough. All for Lucius getting a chance at the Council?"
All but the Miltank raised an appendage. Galera nodded.
"Alright. You have a shot at this. We'll poke through the other candidates that we give a shot, and we'll contact you if you get in."
Lucius couldn't help but leap in joy, pumping a paw in the air. "Radical!" He shouted joyfully.
As he landed, he blushed slightly, muttering an apology. Raya, who climbed back onto his back after falling off, giggled.
"Who says radical?" She giggled some more.
"Shush." Lucius ordered, before turning and running out of the door.
This chapter isnt exactly 5k as I planned, but it's pretty dang close! A lot happened this chapter, I know. I have a question. Do you guys like the Council? I feel like it would be a horrible form of government. 8 means ties for decisions. But here's a little in-universe fact about the council. If there is a tie, the strongest Councilmon on each side of the tie will fight, and the winners vote will count twice, thus the tie is broken.
Anyway, I never realized how much lighting effects mood. My lightbulb shot and we can't buy any right now, so my sister gave me her lamp, and now my room is the perfect amount of light, and it somehow made me feel sorta happier somehow, and boosted me to write the last half of this chapter! I know these chapters take too long for how short they are, and that's mostly because I somehow find a way to procrastinate. That's my main motive to eventually reach 6k words per chapter.
Wellp, have a good day or night everyone!